Sheikh Gumi says federal govt knows hideouts of killer-herdsmen, bandits
- Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has continued the expose on his experience after meeting with terrorists in their hideout
- The Islamic cleric says the federal government and the security agencies are aware of the hideout of the bandits
- The Kaduna-based also reiterated his call that amnesty should be given to the criminal gangs
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Popular Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has declared that the federal government knows the hideout of the killer-herdsmen and bandits involved in killings, kidnappings and other criminal activities across the country.
The cleric made the comment on Monday, February 22 while appearing as a guest on a Channels Television political programme.
According to him, security forces have not moved to dislodge the terrorists because the government is playing safe after realising its former approach of attacking the bandits frontally has not yielded positive results.
Source: Twitter
The anchor of the programme, Seun Okinbaloye had asked the Kaduna-based cleric why he can locate and hold dialogue with the bandits, while security agencies find it hard to snuff them out.
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His response:
“They (government) know. They see them (bandits) by aerial view. They have intelligence among them. I met a herdsman who is part of the internal security. They all know. But the military has learned its lesson.
“The first approach they had— when they go in and start killing— they realised is the wrong way and that they were producing a monster. They are now very careful watching and studying how to go about it.
“The only element I am adding now is ‘look, don’t just wait and watch, go in and negotiate.’ We have to be very careful. If the pressure is too much, I am afraid they can be influenced by Boko Haram. We have seen the signs that Boko Haram is going to infiltrate them.”
The cleric also repeatedly referred to the bandits as militants, saying they sometimes see their activities as an ethnic war.
He also said the killer-herdsmen have not killed so many people as reported, saying it is more of ethnic-revenge and to instil fear on villages who attack their kith and kin.
Meanwhile, armed bandits on Saturday evening, February 20 launched another attack on Gurmana ward in Shiroro local government area of Niger state.
Over 15 people were suspected to have drowned in River Kaduna as they tried to escape from the bandits' attack.
Sources say the bandits were armed with sophisticated weapons and were shooting sporadically when they entered the community.
Similarly, armed bandits on Saturday, February 20 killed three persons and injured one in Kajuru local government area of Kaduna state.
This was revealed in a statement seen by Legit.ng and issued by the state's commissioner for internal security and home affairs, Samuel Arwan.
Jerrywright Ukwu is a senior political/defence correspondent at Legit.ng based in Abuja. He is a graduate of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos and the International Institute of Journalism in Abuja. He is also an active member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists. He spends his leisure-time reading history books.
Source: Legit.ng
